* Model

The processes described in this essay need not happen sequentially or
exclusively of each other, except where explicitly noted.  Each part
of any of these processes may go on indefinitely.

Carefully record all results of these processes, however tangential
they may seem.  Review your records frequently.

These chapters purposefully give instructions for each process
directly and with few words.  Please read each instruction carefully,
perhaps several times.  If you observe in any instruction two or more
possible interpretations or avenues for progress, try them all.  If
you can't try them all, try as many as you can.

** Mind

Make a model of your mind.  Refine a model that you already know, make
a model by intuition, generate a model by chance event, adopt someone
else's model, refine someone else's model, use some combination of
techniques, or use any other power you may have.

Generalize the model of your mind to model all human minds, if it does
not already.  If it seems appropriate, account for "abnormal"
psychology.  If it seems interesting, generalize your model again to
account for minds formed by groups of several minds in communication.
Also if it seems interesting, generalize your model to account for the
minds of animals other than humans.

When your model seems ready, test it.  As any thought occurs in your
mind, sort it using your model.  Do this for some predetermined length
of time, and under varied circumstances.  If you come across mental
events that fit poorly in your model, refine your model or start again
with a new one.

You may create more than one model at a time.  Discard a model if it
has fundamental flaws.  Eliminate all imperfections.

Once you have tested your model, share it with others.  Criticize your
model ruthlessly.  If you spend more time defending your model to the
scrutiny of others than improving it, put it aside for a while and try
a completely different model.

** Universe

Make a model of the entire universe.  Refine a model that you already
know, make a model by intuition, generate a model by chance events,
adopt someone else's model, refine someone else's model, use some
combination of techniques, or use any other power you may have.

If it does not already, include in your model of the Universe an
accounting for intangible and/or conceptual things. Examples include, light,
position in space relative to other objects, mass, time, shape,
actions, order, numbers, etc..

When your model seems complete, test it.  As different phenomena in
the Universe present themselves to you, sort them using your model.
Do this for some predetermined length of time, and under varied
circumstances.  If you come across phenomena that fit poorly in your
model, refine your model or start again with a new one.

You may create more than one model at a time.  Discard a model if it
has fundamental flaws.  Eliminate all imperfections.

Once you have tested your model, share it with others.  Criticize your
model ruthlessly.  If you spend more time defending your model to the
scrutiny of others than improving it, put it aside for a while and try
a completely different model.

** Symbol

Please play along with the poetry involved in this section.  It may
help to re-write this chapter in your own poetry.

Drawing upon your deepest sense of beauty and language, invent or
discover a complete symbol system.  The system must have infinite
expression.  That the symbols compose a system infers that they all
have relationships to one another.  When taken as a whole, a truly
complete symbol system fascinates infinitely, inspires perpetually,
and leaves an indelible mark on each of its observers.

Invent or discover only complete symbol systems.  Many possibilities
for misunderstanding obscure this idea of completeness.  To judge
completeness, rely only on your highest idea of perfection.

Symbols of a complete system ballance against one another, and do not
overlap by much if at all.  Determine the relationships between each
symbol in the system and each other symbol.  Strive always for beauty
and self-evidence.

Do not hesitate to abandon individual symbols or whole symbol systems
if they appear imperfect.

After inventing or discovering more than one symbol system, try to
state one in terms of the other, and then vice versa.  Similarly, as
you invent or discover new systems, relate them to the rest.

** Story

Invent or discover a means to organize the story of your life into
parts.  Invent or discover a symbol for each part that represents that
part perfectly.  Include in the story of your life a projection of the
future of your life for as much of the future as you can possibly
foresee.

If you have the ambition to do so, interview someone and do the same
to the story of their life.  Project the story of their life as far
into the future as possible.

If you can obtain reliable records, generalize your story and the
story of the lifetime of a group of two or more people, organize this
story into parts, and invent or discover a symbol for each part.

If it seems appropriate, generalize your story and the story of other
people into the story of every human's life, organize it into parts,
and invent or discover a symbol for each part.

All symbols invented or discovered in the process of this chapter must
describe their associated part of life perfectly, as if no other
symbol could have possibly fit as well.  Likewise, the division of the
life story into parts should have aweful beauty.  Do not hesitate to
abandon or revise your work if you detect imperfection.